AIBU to think throwing a mum-of-four in prison for having an abortion is never the answer?

[therescoffeeinthatnebula]

Spotted this on Twitter and haven't seen it already being discussed.

Apparently, a woman is being sentenced today for having an abortion over the limit during lockdown. I don't know of the circumstances (can't find anything other than the Sunday Times article), only that she already had four children and claims she didn't know exactly how far along she was.

I think most of us would agree making medical appointments during lockdown was bloody difficult and that it's even harder to attend any appointment if you have children, given you're not normally allowed to take them with you.

Whatever the truth, I'm appalled to see a woman potentially thrown in prison for trying to seek an abortion during lockdown, especially when you look at how violence against women is treated. I'd have thought referring her for mandatory counselling would be more of an appropriate outcome than prison because finding out you aborted what could have been a viable baby has got to mess with anyone's head.

It's all very sad - she should have been able to access proper services earlier - but prison, to me, should never have been on the table as a consequence.

I didn't actually realise that abortion in this country was blanket illegal and that our rights to seek abortions up to the limit are actually exceptions to that law rather than a piece of legislation that stands on its own.

Yes those suggest she was aware she was still pregnant from 24 weeks if were assuming stuff based on that detail in the reporting.

Her actions directly kill another human being though. I'm gonna retort the typical pro life line but "it's not your body. It's the baby's body"

The difference is one is inside of, and requires, the body of an individual, and one is a separate and independent entity in its own right.

The location isn’t a minor detail.

In the nicest way possible, that’s a bit of a stretch.

I in my self am Pro life. There is after all plenty of contraception available then again I do recognise and aknowledge that contraception is not totally infallible and any women can fall. However even I think that sentence is an absolute sickening disgrace. The Law can't care that much for the welfare of children if he's willing to lock a mother up (who is not any risk to society) for almost 3 years. Also couldn't be argued Why wasn't the father locked up then. She didn't lie down and get pregnant on her own did she.

She had to give birth either way!

Well then you'd be incorrect, EggsBenedict.

You can’t see it so let’s pretend it’s not real.

So how far would you take that sentiment? What if a woman is in labour? Should we allow termination then? How far down the birth canal can the baby be before we say it deserves some protection?

Yes this is really the main issue in this case. Not how her kids are going to cope with their mother in prison. I'm sure that'll have no impact at all.

Her actions directly kill another human being though. I'm gonna retort the typical pro life line but "it's not your body. It's the baby's body"

Until the foetus can survive outside the woman's body, it doesn't have bodily autonomy. It's simply the woman's body and her choice to do what she would like.

This isn't a simple thing

She was at between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered

She deliberately concealed the pregnancy, lied to obtain the pills and was only found out as she seems to have underestimated the amount of pain and effort required to pass a 33-odd week foetus

It was never a simple mistake of "I thought I was 8 weeks, but actually I was 12"

Slavery was practiced for centuries of year. Just because an atrocity occurs, doesn't mean it should be allowed.

ah, so it’s a human trafficking/hostage situation then. In that case it’s even less of a problem and the baby must be freed to go on its own way.

Do you think someone of sound mind who's not in a terrible situation would make such a choice?

Just because an atrocity occurs, doesn't mean it should be allowed.

Abortion is not an atrocity and it should never be banned or criminalised. If you don't like it, don't have one.

What’s hilarious is that those on here who are very pro choice are also very anti surrogacy 🤔

Ah, you cannot get pregnant accidentally. You must have sex first.

And you can't have sex accidentally.

All current methods of contraception have warnings printed on the packaging or given verbally by medical professionals that no form of contraception is 100% effective.

As I said, you can't get pregnant accidentally.

Well it's the women's choice to have a legal abortion. She doesn't have the choice to do what she likes or she wouldn't be in prison now for breaking the law

no but then you could say that about anyone who abandons their newborn baby in a drainpipe or tries to drug them to death because they can’t cope. Doesn’t mean it’s right.

Did you miss the part where it happens regardless of whether you allow it or not, and criminalising abortion actually results in far more misery, injury, and death? Or are you just ignoring it?

This story has sickened me. I heard it discussed on radio 5 earlier.The law is completely archaic and could leave any woman who has a still north vulnerable to investigation. Abortion should be decriminalised full stop.

And often they aren't imprisoned as its rightfully recognised that they require support.

The bbc says 3 children, not 4. She knew how far she was gone. What is more tragic is the fact this woman had no other options, I do not believe in any way that this was done sanely. She was unsupported. There were no other options she could consider. She risked her own life too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-65882169